Running-board for cars.



I -J. F. O'CONNOR.

RUNNING BOARD FOR CARS.

APPLICATION r1121) MAY '28, 1910.

' 1,000, 1 12. Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

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TE STATE ATE'I FICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 WILLIAM H. MINER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RUNNING-BOARD FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Application filed May 28, 1910. Serial No. 563,857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN F. OCoNNoR, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Running-Boards for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of car roof running boards.

Heretofore the running boards of car roofs have ordinarily had the separate planks joined or butted together at their ends over a saddle to which the plank are nailed, and danger to the trainmen from stumbling or falling often results from the meeting ends of the plank not being smooth or flush with each other, especially if the plank become loosened or warped at their meeting ends.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of car roof running board, which will overcome this dificulty or objection.

My invention consists in the means I employ and herein shown and described for practically accomplishing this object or result, the same being more particularly specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a freight car provided with a running board embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the multiple plank splice for the meeting ends of three running board planks. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 33 of Fig. 2, and showing also the meeting ends of the planks j oined by the splice. Fig. 4: is a detail perspective View, showing two short planks joined at their meeting ends by a single splice.

In the drawings, 1 represents a car roof, 2 the running board saddles secured at intervals to the car roof at the crown or peak thereof, and to which the running board planks 3 are nailed or otherwise secured. The running board planks '3 at their meeting ends 4, 5 are rigidly connected or joined together by metal splices 6, the upper webs 7 of which are flush with the upper faces of the running boards. Each of the metal splices 6 is furnished with one or more, preferably three, pairs of opposing or oppositely facing and slightly flaring or tapering sockets 8, 8 to receive the meeting ends of two running board planks 3, the ends of the running boards being furnished with chamfers 9 to fit the tapering sockets 8, 8 and cause the upper face of the metal splice to I be flush with the upper face of the running board planks which it joins. The oppositely facing sockets 8, 8 of the splice are separated by short upright webs or flanges 10 against which the ends of the boards may abut. The metal splices 6 are preferably furnished with holes 11 through which nails 12 may be driven into the ends of the running board planks 3 for further security. The metal splices 6 are also furnished with nail holes 13 to receive nails 14 which may be driven into a running board saddle in cases where the meeting ends of the plank 3 and splice 6 are located directly over a saddle 2.

My improved running board plank splices may be made multiple, as shown in Fig. 2, to receive and join three pairs of planks, or single, as shown in Fig. 4 for joining a single pair of planks at their meeting ends. The single splices 15 enable short planks to be used or planks of different lengths in constructing the running board.

I claim 1. In a car roof running board, the combination with the running board planks and saddles, of metal splices, separable from said saddles, for the meeting ends of the planks having oppositely facing sockets to receive said ends. substantially as specified.

2. In a car roof running board, the combination with the running board planks and saddles, of metal splices, separable from said saddles, for the meeting ends of the planks having oppositely facing sockets to receive said ends, said sockets being outwardly flar ing, and the upper web of said metal splice being flush with the upper face of the running board planks, substantially as specified.

3. In a car roof running board, the combination with the running board planks and saddles, of metal splices, separable from said saddles, for the meeting ends of the planks having oppositely facing sockets to receive said ends, said metal splice having flanges between its oppositely facing sockets for the meeting ends of the plank to abut against, substantially as specified.

4. In a car roof running board, the combination with running board planks and saddles, of a metal splice, separable from said saddles and having a plurality of pairs of opposing sockets to receive the meeting ends of a plurality of pairs of planks, substantially as specified.

5. In a car roof running board, the combination with running board planks and saddles, of a metal splice, separable from said saddles and having a plurality of pairs of opposing sockets to receive the meeting ends of a plurality of pairs of blanks, said opposing sockets being outwardly flaring and the 10 upper Web of said splice being flush with the upper face of the planks, substantially as specified.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

Witnesses:

PEARL ABRAMS, H. M. MUNDAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

